Page 63 - EarthHeroes

Few people in their local area had heard of organic farming and many doubted the newcomers could succeed without the usual farm machinery, especially on poor-quality land. But Perrine and Charles were determined. Having had no training, they had to patiently research and experiment with new farming techniques, which didn’t always work. They hired staff, added new buildings and, as well as fruit
and vegetables, sold cider, apple juice, vinegar,
bread and jams in their new farm shop. But after
two years of working long hours and gaining loyal customers, who loved their healthy, chemical-free produce, they still weren’t earning enough money
to support the family. There had to be a better way . . .
The answer came in autumn 2008, with an email from a friend introducing them to the concept of permaculture. In the wild, twice as much biomass, or plant material, grows naturally compared to on farmland, and all without the use of machines or fossil fuels. Permaculture involves observing and learning from nature – how it makes new soil, how it protects and saves its water resources, how it adapts to the climate – then copying these natural processes. Perrine and Charles were excited. Perhaps permaculture could help them not only grow more food, but might also be the way to live in balance with the Earth that they had been looking for.
That winter, Perrine attended a permaculture training course in the UK, and
the couple researched natural farming traditions from around the world. They were amazed to discover that in the nineteenth century Paris market gardeners, growing on small plots around the city, had been able to supply all its fruit and vegetables the whole year round. Perrine and Charles decided to try the new methods they had discovered straight away.
In nature, soil is never bare, and ploughing land can damage its fertility by harming worms, bacteria, fungi and algae which live in the soil. The couple introduced vegetable beds that are never dug but are covered in a mulch, or layer, of plant cuttings and dead leaves which protects the soil from drying
out and makes new soil as it rots down. Soon, there were more worms, fewer slugs and the vegetables grew better. They began to plant different crops close together, such as radishes and carrots with greens and onions, fitting almost as many into one bed as they had previously grown in four.
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